Photographer's Note

Bicycle travels on the Silk Road - Afghanistan

Some parts of the Silk Road are really in use since ancient times: the one shown here links Termiz in Uzbekistan with Mazar-e Sharif, or if you will ancient Sogdia with Bactria and its capital Bactra, today's Balkh. Alexander Macedon and his Hellenes used it 2'340 years ago and got mighty thirsty ! I for my part had six water bottles on my bike. The passing Tuktuk holds many yellow water canisters. What was really lacking was a shadow, 43° C is not a temperature that cyclists like. You can look the place up on View: Map.

Kara Kum is a steppe- like desert. The bushes you can make out are (I'm guessing) Haloxylon , possibly H. persicum or H. salicornicum. Dromedaries and goats can eat it. (Wikipedia)